Convenience, efficiency drivers of UK Christmas mobile shopping

Starting with Black Friday, the 2016 festive season in the UK was distinctly mobile, according to new research released by Salmon .

Black Friday 2016 was the first in which mobile orders overtook desktop in the UK, according to global ecommerce consultants, Salmon. Since Black Friday, mobile led the way online retail traffic, too, with 53% coming through mobile alone and 68% through mobile and tablets combined.

"Overall, there has been a 26% rise in average mobile traffic since 2015," says Salmon in a recent announcement. "This mirrors the tipping point of mobile as seen during this year's Black Friday period where 68% of traffic and 51.2% of orders were made on mobile and tablets - the first year where mobile overtook desktop in orders. Last year, the Christmas period saw a 12% growth on 2014 in online orders overall."

More than half (53%) of consumers consulted for Salmon's research said that improvements in technology have made online shopping "easier and more convenient" and 16% of the UK population (over 8million people) shop online every day. Nearly half (49%) said the shopping process has been sped up thanks to online, mobile and click & collect services and 41% say they can now shop at stores they are not able to visit in person.

"What's clear for UK shoppers, though, is that they crave convenience and efficiency above all else," says Neil Stewart, CEO of Salmon. "For Christmas, shopping online and through mobile especially is a time-saver and means that families can spend more time with each other instead of navigating the busy high street. Retailers must ensure they have strong back-end systems and a fluid supply chain in the run-up to the festive period to cope with the demanding holiday period."